Tre Mason, Benny Cunningham's Instant Fantasy Reaction After Week 15

Owners who expected big things out of St. Louis Rams running back Tre Mason for the fantasy playoffs were let down to a severe degree in Week 15.

Matching up with the Arizona Cardinals' sixth-ranked rush defense was going to be hard enough in the first place. However, Mason's underwhelming outing in a 12-6 loss had to fall short of even the most modest expectations.

Player	Rush Att.	Rush Yds.	Catches	Targets	Yards	Total TDs	Fantasy Points
Mason	13	33	0	1	0	0	1
Cunningham	2	4	3	4	23	0	2

Pro Football Focus fantasy expert Mike Clay weighed in on Mason's performance:

Benny Cunningham did little as a ball-carrier, as Rams quarterback Shaun Hill outproduced him on the ground with three carries for 11 yards. Although he is the top handcuff option at this point and is a superior pass-catcher to Mason, Cunningham offers little more tangible fantasy value, even in PPR formats.

Mason had 117 yards rushing on just 14 carries and three total touchdowns in Week 13's 52-0 blowout of the Oakland Raiders. In the two games since, the former Auburn star has amassed just 99 yards on 33 carries with zero TDs.

Those who are hoping for Mason to be a clutch RB2 or flex play down the stretch may have to look elsewhere this late in the season.

But FootballGuys.com's Sigmund Bloom noticed a silver lining for those discouraged by Mason's Week 15 effort:

Owners in a pinch at running back or flex should at least consider Mason in Week 16, when St. Louis takes on the New York Giants' 30th-ranked rush defense. That should result in a game plan more tailored toward Mason, especially after Hill threw 39 times on Thursday.

This late-season decline could be an instance of Mason hitting the rookie wall. Owners in keeper leagues should hold onto Mason, though. Even if he doesn't produce down the stretch, Mason has the playmaking ability to be a productive back for the next couple of years at least.